Ambri re-brands in lead-up to diagnostic launch

Ambri has launched a corporate re-branding campaign as it prepares to launch testing of its SensiDx point-of-care diagnostic system in Australian hospitals.

The company's logo has been redesigned, and a major marketing push will be targeted at the international diagnostics market, featuring a young bloodhound as a focal point of the advertising campaign.

"The new logo features a contemporary cross, representing our market focus, while the bloodhound represents our brand values - detection, accuracy and reliability," said Sandy Smith, Ambri's associate director of marketing.

Smith explained that the company wanted to reposition itself as a critical care diagnostics company, rather than being just a biotechnology company.

CEO Joe Shaw said marketing was a key, essential ingredient to success. "Our position as a market leader in the diagnostics industry must be led by the innovation of our technology, and this innovation must also be reflected in the way we market ourselves," he said.

Ambri's technology has been in development for 10 years, according to COO Fiona Dring, and the company is now moving into a commercial phase.

The system potentially provides a rapid method to detect and measure proteins, drugs, hormones, viruses and bacteria in whole blood, with results available in five minutes, compared to between four and 24 hours with standard pathology tests.

Initial applications for the SensiDx system include a test for pregnancy hormone hCG and for a panel of cardiac markers to indicate heart attack, both to be used in hospital emergency departments.

Dring said the company was currently testing and optimising the system in house, and planned to take it into Australian hospitals later this quarter for trials. Later this year, Ambri hopes to launch the product in the US market.

Ambri's share price increased by almost 7 per cent to close at $1.24 after the announcement.